Prasa board chair bundled into car boot

Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) board chairwoman and SABC board member Khanyisile Kweyama is recovering from shock and trauma after she was bundled into the boot of her car when she was hijacked on Thursday night.

Kweyama was hijacked by two men near her home in Houghton, Joburg, while coming back from an SABC board meeting at Auckland Park.

SABC board deputy chairman Mathata Tsedu said a BMW sedan bumped Kweyama's Porsche twice from behind and when she got out to inspect, the hijackers pepper-sprayed her, bundled her into the boot of her car and drove off.

Tsedu said the hijackers drove around for three hours before dumping her and the car next to a train station in Katlehong , Ekurhuleni.

He said the hijackers only took her handbag, phones and two iPads belonging to the SABC and BrandSA, where she is also a board member.

Tsedu said the fact that the tsotsis did not take the car raised eyebrows.

"This wasn't about the money and the question is what was it all about?"

He said from the family's point of view, there was no further explanation other than that she was chairing the board of Prasa which was currently in the process of clearing out corruption at the parastatal.

According to Tsedu, the two men told Kweyama that they only needed money but she was surprised that they spent hours with her and eventually left without that money.

Kweyama was appointed to the Prasa board three months ago and was the second high-ranking official of the entity to be hijacked within that period.

"Acting CEO at the time Mr Lindikhaya Zide was hijacked as he drove from his office on a non-working day. He was also bundled into the boot and later dumped without being hurt. The hijackers at the time also made off with his bag and technological gadgets," said Tsedu.

Tsedu further said Prasa had been the subject of widespread corruption through a number of tenders and the new board had been investigating and reversing some of the deals and this had ruffled feathers.

Gauteng police spokeswoman Noxolo Kweza confirmed a case of hijacking was opened and no arrests had been made.